Patch 7.2 - Unlocking Artifact Traits
Patch 7.2 brings new Artifact Traits for everyone, along with higher Artifact Knowledge ranks. Unlocking these traits is done by completing a series of quests, with several different versions that depend on your role.

At the end of the quest line, you return to Dalaran and the Council empowers your Artifact weapon, unlocking the new traits. You can see these new traits in our Artifact Calculator.

BlizzCon 2017 Contests – Mixing Things Up

Originally Posted by Blizzard
(Blue Tracker)

Greetings, cosplayers, moviemakers, and artists! BlizzCon 2017 is official, and some of you are already eager to get started on your contest creations—but before you set that creativity to full blast, we just wanted to have a quick chat.

After 10 years of BlizzCon—and 10 years of contests—we’re taking a fresh look at our approach to BlizzCon contests. We’re considering some new approaches to how we handle things, and are taking another look at our contests’ structure and format at the show. Ultimately, our goal is to celebrate and showcase you guys the best way possible.

What does this mean for our contestants, you ask? Right now, nothing. Right now we can tell you the Costume Contest is still incoming, so feel free to start crafting away! In the coming weeks however, we will be announcing a few tweaks, and just wanted to give you all a heads up as soon as possible.

Thank you again for continuing to make BlizzCon so very special with all your incredible talents. It’s all of your who make BlizzCon something we look forward to year after year, and can’t wait to see what you create this year!

Blue Tweets

Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment

ClassesAny words yet on if hunters is getting more stable slots in 7.2? Or maybe a way to unlock more?
Not in 7.2 (Muffinus)

ArtCan we hope for epicness with Turalyon and a unique model for him ?
you tell us what you think when you see him. My opinion = hell yes! (Alex_Afrasiabi)

Suramar's story might be the BEST WoW's ever been. These characters should definitely remain relevant.
we agree with you! (Alex_Afrasiabi)

Ghostcrawler Tweets
Ghostcrawler still occasionally talks about WoW. Remember that he no longer works for or speaks for Blizzard.

Originally Posted by MMO-Champion

With that recent tire fire that was that Reddit post, you sure have some thick skin, Ben Brode mentioned that being sorta the face of a game opens you up to brunt of the community’s attacks when people asked why him and Yong Woo didn’t do more designer insights. Do you feel it’s important for a dev to have thick skin when dealing with this stuff.
I don’t think you can be a good game designer if you have thin skin. You have to subject your ideas to the crucible of review, whether that happens internally or after players see your design.

I do think you can be a good game designer if you have thick skin, but don’t have thick enough skin to open yourself up to direct communication with players. Some of my favorite games have been made by people that can barely stand to have a conversation with other humans, let alone open themselves up to the internet.

But if you’re going to go that route, you just have to be really, really good at what you do. You need a purity of vision or an ability to foresee problems that just isn’t that common in developers. I don’t have that. Way back at Ensemble, when we weren’t sure if design A or design B made more sense, I said “Let’s just ask players what they think.”

You don’t have to ask up front. You can launch a feature, monitor the response, and then iterate on that feature. But you have to get that feedback at some point. Lead Champion Designer Riot Scruffy the other day said something like “Even when you’ve really thought about it, tested and iterated, your chance of nailing a great design is about 70%. So you have to be prepared to iterate based on player feedback. You have to leave time for the follow-up work.”

(I also don’t mean to imply that asking players on Reddit or forums is the only way we gather feedback.)

Now, I don’t subscribe to the idea that players should just be able to say whatever the hell they want to, and developers should just suck it up because that’s their job. I value communication, and communication is easier if you treat each other like human beings. But I also recognize that players get emotional or frustrated, and I recognize that the power dynamic between passionate player and developer who just doesn’t get it can exacerbate that frustration.

But there are limits.

I don’t block a lot of players on Twitter, but I do block them. I don’t answer stupidly rude questions, except to make a point of the fact that they aren’t going to actually bring me to tears. Sorry.

I’ve had weird phone calls in the middle of the night. I’ve had death threats. I've had Blizzard security offer to monitor my house. I’ve had designers who had to work with the FBI on threats. I’m also an upper class, straight, white dude, and I know developers who aren’t who have gotten much, much worse from players. There’s no reason for that. We all love games. That already gives us a lot in common.

I try and remind players all the time that your communication is going to be more effective if you’re professional about it, because then you’re actually talking about the problem and not venting about how neglected you feel. If you have a job or go to school, you probably have coworkers or teachers you disagree with that you still have to treat like human beings. Developers deserve the same respect. I know it might score you internet points to attack someone in an over the top matter. You’re better than that. Resist the urge. (Source)

Poll - Un'Goro Madness
Did you you take part in the recent Un'Goro Madness micro-holiday?

People can do things for fun without a carrot dangled in front of them.

Of course it is. But that almost 90% of all players didn't even touch the event says a lot. And I'd be surprised if all of the 10+% auf players, who tried the event did also enjoy it. I mean I participated in a few micro holidays and I certainly didn't enjoy them and as far as I heard neither did any of my ingame friends.